This article written by Amanda Bishop, it originally appeared in The Brock News
When Alessandra Carneiro (BA ’16) first began dreaming of a career in broadcasting back in high school, she couldn’t have guessed that she would be sitting behind an anchor desk a few years later.
Today, the Brock Media and Communications alumna is an anchor and reporter for CTV News Barrie and has anchored nationally for CTV News Channel.
She advises students approaching graduation to keep lessons learned in the classroom fresh in their minds as they may need that information sooner than they think.
“I remember learning about the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and thinking at the time, you know, will I ever really need this?” she says. “Now, every single day, the CRTC and its regulations are vital to my work.”
Carneiro frequently returns to campus to speak with students in the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film (CPCF) about how her experience in the fourth-year internship course enabled her to achieve her career goals.
“My internship at the local cable station taught me every aspect of the business, from what to look for when shooting a story to how to make sure that your writing matches the visuals to editing,” she says. “My supervisor knew my goals and helped me get the right stories to create a good demo, and that ultimately got me my first job on camera.”
But Carneiro didn’t have a chance to use the demo right away. While still in her fourth year at Brock, she took the first job she could find with a major media company, handing out swag at events. After graduation, she worked in radio marketing and promotion before moving into media sales.
When an opening finally came up for an anchor in Yorkton, Sask., Carneiro had her demo ready. She landed the role at age 25.
She soon moved to Saskatoon, where she spent two years as a weekend anchor and reporter. The news stories she filed sometimes attracted national attention, and she was able to return to Ontario three years ago for her current role at CTV Barrie.
Carneiro says that in a changing media landscape, her Brock degree has provided her with the context and agility to take on roles in various parts of the industry.
“When I came into the business, I wasn’t solely coming from a journalism program or a broadcasting program,” she says. “My program included a variety of different ways to approach media and to learn about different sectors, which gave me skills and knowledge that have really helped me on my career journey.”
Kate Cassidy (MEd’01, PhD’13) regularly invites Carneiro to speak to current CPCF interns and says that she is “a shining testament to the value of our media program’s comprehensive foundation, enriched by experiential learning.”
“I truly appreciate Alessandra’s willingness to return to the classroom and mentor our students,” says Cassidy. “Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that with diligence and passion, they too can become trailblazers, just as she has done.”
Carneiro always reminds students that openness can make all the difference to a career path.
“Be open to every opportunity, even if it’s not the opportunity that you initially had in mind, and be willing to learn every aspect of a field because you will find your way,” she says. “ And network fearlessly — the careers of friends and mentors grow with yours, and they become voices in leadership who can vouch for what a hard worker you are and how passionate you are.”
